Cory Monteith’s Mother Speaks Publicly For First Time Since His Death

Ann McGregor, the mother of the late Glee actor Cory Monteith, has broken her silence on the 31-year-old’s death last year in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Monteith’s mother said he was in Vancouver last year preparing to sign a lease on an apartment, which she said was a sign he was likely getting ready to wind down from a life in Hollywood.

“McGregor last saw Monteith two days before his death. He said he was planning to sign a lease on a place in Vancouver.Asked whether Monteith wanted to give Hollywood up, his mother replied: ‘I think he was easing himself out of it.'”

While unable to discuss the specifics of his death, Monteith’s mother did reveal that she was still in touch with his girlfriend at the time, fellow Glee star Lea Michele, by text and e-mail, the ABC morning news and entertainment program reported.

“‘She’s hurting too… you see the sadness,’ she said, adding, ‘I know her pain.'”

During the interview, Monteith’s mother did acknowledge that her son had drug problems for many years, relating a story dating back to when he was 15 years old and had “a code blue,” though she said she considered the experience to be a turning point in his life.

As for his eventual death from a mix of alcohol and heroine, Monteith’s mother does not blame his acting career or the fame and spotlight he found himself under.

She told Good Morning America that she was not sure what could have kept her son from relapsing into a habit that eventually took his life.

“Asked what advice she had for the mothers of other stars who are facing similar problems, McGregor replied: ‘I don’t think we have power to change the choices they’re making. I think with the kind of connection Cory and I had, if we couldn’t prevent that situation, I don’t have the answer.

“‘What could I say to them? Live every moment. Grab the second.’

“McGregor doesn’t blame Hollywood for her son’s fate.

“‘I don’t think blame is a good thing to do; that was his choice,’ she said.

“Despite the outcome, McGregor acknowledged that her son’s talent was ‘pretty amazing.'”

Monteith’s death is not the first to strike the Glee family, as Glee star Becca Tobin’s 35-year-old boyfriend was recently found dead in a Philadelphia hotel room.

[Image via Flickr Creative Commons]